SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama: SrI vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
nAyanAr says “In this manner, AzhwAr being free from attachment in all worldly aspects completely, and being fully engaged in bhagavAn only, suffers in separation from such bhagavAn; since the sages have not abandoned all attachments in worldly aspects, they will go through such suffering in separation from worldly aspects”.
chUrNikai 61
azhunIr thuLumbak kadalum malaiyum visumbum thuzhAy thirumAlenRu engE kANgEn ennum ivar alamAppu avargaLukkup puthra viyOgaththilE
Simple Explanation
AzhwAr’s bewilderment and sorrow in separation from bhagavAn can be seen in the cases of sages when they became separated from their children.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
That is due to separation from bhagavAn, AzhwAr remained with teary eyes, searching for bhagavAn in the inconceivable ocean, continuous mountains, distant sky, became bewildered in his heart and called out “Oh SrIman nArAyaNa!” and suffered in sorrow desiring to spot him as said in
- azhunIr thuLumba – as said in thiruviruththam 2 “chEyarikkaN azhunIr thuLumba alamaruginRana” (whose eyes roam around here and there like fish in a beautiful, water-filled pond, are shedding tears and are suffering in sorrow)
- kadalum malaiyum visumbum thuzhAy – as said in thiruvAimozhi 2.1.4 “kadalum malaiyum visumbum thuzhAy” (seeking emperumAn in the ocean (kshIrAbdhi – milk ocean), mountain (thirumalA) and sky (paramapadham which is called as the great/ultimate sky))
- thirumAlenRu – as said in thiruvAimozhi 9.8.10 “sindhai kalangith thirumAl! enRazhaippan” (I am calling out with a bewildered heart saying “Oh SrImAn!”)
- engE kANgEn – as said in thiruvAimozhi 8.5.11 “engE kANgEn! In thuzhAy ammAn thannai” (Where will I see sarvESvara who is wearing ultimately enjoyable thuLasi garland?)
Such sorrow of sorrow is seen in sages like SrI vasishta bhagavAn, SrI vEdha vyAsa bhagavAn et al who cried out for their children and roamed around searching for them in their separation, as seen in:
Out of sorrow in separation from his son, SrI vasishta bhagavAn climbed the mountain and fell down, entered fire, tied a rock with his neck and jumped into the ocean as said in:
sa mEru kUtAthmAnam mumOcha bhagavAn rushi:
Siras thasya SilAyancha thUlarAchAvivApadhath
na mamAra cha pAdhEna thathAsa munisaththama:
thadhAgnimithvA bhagavAn sa vivEcha mahAvanE
tham thathA susamiththOpi na thathAha huthASana
dhIpyamAnOpyamithragnam SIthOgnirabhavath thathA
sa samudhramabhiprEthya SOkAvishtO mahAmuni:
kaNtE badhvA SilAm kurvIm nipapAdha thadhambasi
That vasishta bhagavAn jumped from the peak of mEru mountain; his head fell on the ground like cotton falling on a rock; but even then that best among the sages did not die. Oh sage! That vasishta bhagavAn lit a pyre and entered it; though the fire was powerful and it was burning then, it did not burn him; that vasishta, being engulfed with sorrow, reached the ocean and jumped into it having a rock tied to his neck”.
SrI vEdha vyAsa bhagavAn, being unable to tolerate the separation from his son, cried in sorrow and called out “Oh son!” and roamed around as said in SrI bhAgavatham 1.2.2 “dhvaipAyanO virahakAthara AjuhAva puthrEthi” (Being scared about the separation from his son Sukha, cried out for his son).
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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